16 February 2014  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council have strongly condemned today's terrorist attack on a bus in the southern Sinai town of Taba, which reportedly killed four people and wounded many others.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York, Mr. Ban condemned the deadly attack which reportedly killed four people including three tourists from the Republic of Korea, and wounded dozens of other people.

“He conveys his condolences to the families of the victims and to the Governments of Egypt and the Republic of Korea. He calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice,” the statement adds.

In a statement issued later in the day, the members of the Security Council echoed Mr. Ban's strong condemnation of the “heinous act”, reaffirmed that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any and all terrorist acts are criminal and unjustifiable.

The Council reaffirmed the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and all obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

Egypt has witnessed considerable violence since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak three years ago following mass protests. Last July, renewed protests, in which dozens of people were killed and wounded, led to the military deposing President Mohamed Morsy and the setting up of an interim government. A new constitution was adopted in a referendum last month.

In early August 2013, the Secretary-General strongly condemned an ambush in the Sinai of Egyptian police officers, following earlier reports of dozens of prisoners killed while in police custody.

At least 25 police officers were killed when two mini-buses were ambushed in the incident. That attack followed reports of 36 prisoners in police custody killed as they were being transferred from one facility to another.

At that time, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) echoed the UN chief's condemnation of the ambush and expressed the Office's grave concern about insecurity in the Sinai region.